(NAA) Neutron activation analysis is a very sensitive analytical technique to determine even very low concentration of chemical elements, trace elements for example, in small biological samples.
NAA becomes commercial available in the USA in 1960.
In the activation process stable nuclides in the sample, which is placed in a neutron beam (neutron flux, 90-95% are thermal neutron with low energy levels under 0.5 eV), will change to radioactive nuclides through neutron capture (artificial radioactivity). These radioactive nuclides decay by emitting alpha-, beta-particles and gamma-rays with a unique half-life. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the sample is done with a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer.
NAA is subdivided into the following techniques:

A radiation meter is used to measure radioactivity.
Beta emitting isotopes, such as C-14, P-32, P-33, and S-35, are best detected with a Geiger-Mueller counter (GM).
Gamma emitting isotopes, such as I-125, I-123, I-131, and Tc-99m are easily detected with a gamma meter equipped with a sodium iodide (NaI) probe.
An isotope that cannot be detected with most survey meters, unless present in large activities, is tritium (H-3). Tritium emits beta particles with energies insufficient to enter the sensitive volume of most detectors.

A sample is placed into a concentrated beam of neutrons. Through neutron-capture heavier nuclei become frequently unstable. This artificial radiation decays with a characteristic half-live consisting of alpha- and beta-particles and gamma-rays.

See Neutron Activation Analysis

Absorbers consist of material that stops ionizing radiation. For example, lead, steel and concrete attenuate x-rays. Alpha particles and most beta particles can be stopped or absorbed by a sheet of paper or thin metal.
The absorption depends on the atomic number, density, thickness, etc. of the used material.
The interactions between the radiation and the absorber are three major processes: photoelectric absorption, Compton scattering, and pair production.

See also Absorption.

An accelerator uses electrostatic or electromagnetic fields to increase the kinetic energy of charged particles (see alpha particle, beta particle) in order to produce ionization or a nuclear reaction in a target.
Accelerators (see cyclotron, linear accelerator) are used for the production of radionuclides (see Fluorine-18, Molybdenum, Technetium-99m) or directly for radiation therapy. Accelerator-produced radioactive material (ARM) is any radioactive substance that is produced by a particle accelerator. The accelerators used for radiation therapy generate gamma rays (also called Bremsstrahlung) with continuous energy by collision of high energy electrons on materials with high density (also referred as 'high z' - chemical elements with a high atomic number (Z)).
Electron accelerators with energies above 10 MeV can also produce neutrons induced by photons in the accelerator head material (mainly caused by photo nuclear reaction).